Can this be a veritable defence strategy before God?

Ignorance of the law is no excuse
"Ignorantia juris non excusat" or "ignorantia legis neminem excusat" (Latin for "ignorance of the law excuses not" and "ignorance of law excuses no one" respectively) is a legal principle holding that a person who is unaware of a law may not escape liability for violating that law merely because one was unaware of its content.
European-law countries with a tradition of Roman law may also use an expression from Aristotle translated into Latin: "nemo censetur ignorare legem" (nobody is thought to be ignorant of the law) or "ignorantia iuris nocet" (not knowing the law is harmful).
(Wikipedia)

Indeed, our ignorance about a thing cannot excuse us from being bound or affected by it. Some four decades ago, the trailer of a film, "The Thing", had a line that read: "What you don't know may not harm you; it will kill you!"

There are many things we may be ignorant of, but their consequence or effect cannot be wished away!

Ignorance cannot excuse consequences
For centuries, men were ignorant of the law of gravity, but that did not excuse them from being held accountable by it. Thus, when they tried to fly, they found themselves unable to, because of gravity. Indeed, it was the law of thermodynamics that broke the law of gravity enabling man to fly!

Assuming that a man does not know that killing another human being is a crime; should society ignore him? Should that man be allowed to go free? Of course not! Society does not condone nor make an excuse for such behaviour ? even when the man claims ignorance.

Even minors who murder are tried in a court of law ? sometimes as adults ? and sentenced to various prison terms. The reason for not letting minors off the hook is because, "the law is the law", and ignorance of the law cannot be an excuse for society not to punish a violation thereof!

Should a judge overlook ignorant law-breakers?
An upright judge must pass sentence on crime ? murder, burglary, tax evasion, terrorism, drug trafficking, etc. ? to put away evil from society. Societal laws are enacted to restrain individuals from hurting others or even themselves. These laws spell out in clear terms what should and should not be done, and the punishment for any violation thereof.

So, if someone lies under oath, they'll be guilty of perjury and sentenced; or if someone steals, and is caught and found guilty, they'd be sentenced.

The judge will not be persuaded by pleas; he'd be constrained by the law to execute justice, and ignorance of the law wouldn't be an excuse!

If sinful men can dispense justice, how much more God, who is the Righteous Judge of the whole earth? If sinful men will not excuse ignorance on the part of those who break their laws, should we expect God to excuse men who violate His laws?

Since God is righteous, we must expect Him to give righteous judgment on all offenders, among whom are, the proud and arrogant, the rebellious and disobedient, adulterers and sexual perverts, extortioners, liars and deceitful men, and, haters of the truth and haters of God! (Revelation 21:8; 1 Corinthians 6: 9?10; 1 Timothy 1:8?10).

Abraham once took issue with God on His righteous judgment when God told him that He was going to destroy Sodom and Gomorrah because of their wickedness.

But when Abraham interceded on their behalf, God told him that if He found even ten righteous men in those cities including the adjoining cities, He would spare all those cities (Genesis 18:23?32).

As it turned out, there was only one righteous man found, Abraham's nephew, Lot! But in deference to Abraham's intercession, God spared Lot and his family, although Lot's wife did not heed the warning not to look back, and became a pillar of salt!

The truth is that before the God of the whole earth, no one can hide his/her deeds. Our thoughts are before God and we cannot escape from His presence or scrutiny (Psalms 139:1?12).

God has good reason not to excuse those who contravene His law
The Bible makes it clear that all we need to know of God, and by implication, His laws, are plainly revealed to all, and therefore, none has an excuse.
But God's angry displeasure erupts as acts of human mistrust and wrongdoing and lying accumulate, as people try to put a shroud over truth. But the basic reality of God is plain enough. Open your eyes and there it is! By taking a long and thoughtful look at what God has created, people have always been able to see what their eyes as such can't see: eternal power, for instance, and the mystery of his divine being. So nobody has a good excuse. What happened was this: People knew God perfectly well, but when they didn't treat him like God, refusing to worship him, they trivialized themselves into silliness and confusion so that there was neither sense nor direction left in their lives. They pretended to know it all, but were illiterate regarding life. They traded the glory of God who holds the whole world in his hands for cheap figurines you can buy at any roadside stand. So God said, in effect, "If that's what you want, that's what you get." It wasn't long before they were living in a pigpen, smeared with filth, filthy inside and out. And all this because they traded the true God for a fake god, and worshiped the god they made instead of the God who made them ? the God we bless, the God who blesses us. Oh, yes! (Romans 1:18?25, MSG)

Besides, everyone has a God-given conscience which enables even a child to know right from wrong. Although children may not be held accountable at a tender age, yet they know that telling lies and stealing from mum's cookie jar is wrong. Just watch the guilt and shame on their faces when they are caught, and you'll know that they knew all along that they had done wrong!

It is deceit in the heart of man that makes him feign ignorance of what is wrong.

The law of God helps us to live right before God, guides and regulates the conduct and affairs of men ? helping them to live enriching lives and in harmony with their neighbours ? and helps us maintain constant fellowship with God.

There is, however, a major drawback with man and God's law ? merely knowing God's laws do not translate to keeping or obeying them, and no matter how hard we try, we can't keep God's laws.
But we know that no one is made right with God by following the law. It is trusting in Jesus Christ that makes a person right with God. So we have put our faith in Christ Jesus, because we wanted to be made right with God. And we are right with him because we trusted in Christ ? not because we followed the law. I can say this because no one can be made right with God by following the law. (Galatians 2:16, ERV)

What then can we do?
Ignorance of the law is not an excuse and will not be a tenable defence before God! So also will "I don't believe in God" or "I didn't know that God existed"! Not acknowledging the existence of God is sometimes regarded as a good defence strategy ? which is premised on a defence of "Since I didn't know that God exists, I couldn't have known that He has laws that I am expected to live by." Unfortunately, in the light of Romans 1:18?25 already cited above, it is clear that such a strategy will fail.

So, what option is open to anyone?
Surprisingly, It is to get to know God!

Why is knowing God an option to consider? It is what God Himself requires of man, and it is the way to eternal life, which is the essence of wanting to keep the laws of God.
This is what the LORD says: "The wise must not brag about their wisdom. The strong men must not brag about their strength. The rich must not brag about their money. But if someone wants to brag, then let them brag about this: Let them brag that they learned to know me. Let them brag that they understand that I am the LORD, that I am kind and fair, and that I do good things on earth. I love this kind of bragging." This message is from the LORD. (Jeremiah 9:23?24, ERV)
Knowing God is not a casual affair which is learned by merely reading the Bible or even sitting through a sermon about God. It is rather, an intimate vital ongoing personal relationship which develops over time, and is in the mould of the relationship between a man and his wife ? only better!

And this is eternal life: that people can know you, the only true God, and that they can know Jesus Christ, the one you sent. (John 17:3, ERV)
Knowing God enables us to hear Him speak to us and live according to how He wants us to live before Him, and thus, guarantee our eternity with Him in the hereafter. Refusing to accept the inevitability of death and the hereafter, is to deny the existence of crime and punishment and prisons.

Getting to know God
To know God in an intimate relationship, we must be in a state where that relationship is possible.
Man has been in a state of rebellion against God from the beginning of time, so, if an intimate relationship is to occur, the wall of separation between God and man caused by sin must be pulled down.
By his death on the cross Christ destroyed their enmity; by means of the cross he united both races into one body and brought them back to God. (Ephesians 2:16, GNB)
Accordingly, for an intimate relationship to occur between man and God, man must acknowledge and admit their sinfulness and need for a Saviour, who is Jesus Christ, based on His finished work on the cross at Calvary. All who put their trust in Christ for their salvation, and confess Him as their Lord and Saviour, would submit to the working of the Holy Spirit in their lives.
And now what the law code asked for but we couldn't deliver is accomplished as we, instead of redoubling our own efforts, simply embrace what the Spirit is doing in us. (Romans 8:4, MSG)
What the Holy Spirit does is to make us willing and able to obey God.

Until we accept Jesus Christ as Saviour and Lord, we would be unwilling and unable to obey God or His laws.

But after the Holy Spirit has done His work in a repentant soul, that individual becomes willing and able to obey God without having to obey any of His direct laws.

Anytime anyone does what God asks him/her to do, they have obeyed the law of God! This is far better than memorizing laws and trying to obey them.

Hence, we need to have a vital ongoing intimate relationship with God ? that way, we can hear what He wants us to do, and do it! Knowing God thus overcomes the tortuous effort of memorising God's laws and the futile attempt to obey them!

We have a choice to make
The decision before all men (male and female), therefore, is either choose to live by the laws of God and fail woefully or, get to know God intimately so that you know what He wants you to do and with the help of the Holy Spirit after submitting to Christ through repentance, you can do it.

Choose wisely!

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